1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for grinding hypodermic syringes or needles, intravenous (IV) needles, and other hazardous medical waste. More particularly, the invention relates to a medical waste grinder having rotors with teeth thereon which interact to grind the syringes into relatively small particles.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
A prior art device for destructing syringes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,966 to Anderson. This device has a pair of counterrotating rolls with teeth extending therefrom. The sharp edge of a tooth on one roll just contacts the sharp edge of a tooth on the opposite roll, at the nip formed between the rolls. The teeth extend longitudinally along the length of each of the rolls. This device breaks syringes into a plurality of discrete pieces, but such pieces might still be large enough to be hazardous. The present invention solves this problem by grinding the syringe into relatively small particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,534,855 to Lowenthal discloses a crusher having a pair of crushing rolls with teeth thereon which are engaged with one another in a gearlike fashion. While this apparatus, if adapted for use with syringes, would probably grind the syringes into pieces about as small as the apparatus of Anderson, it is possible, as noted in Anderson, that the plastic material of the syringes could quickly clog the valleys or depressions in the rolls used in Lowenthal. The apparatus of the present invention solves this problem by having a plurality of discrete teeth which are longitudinally spaced and by the interaction between teeth on different rollers, is effectively self-cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,279 to Dryden et al. discloses a hammermill type arrangement and includes means for pumping a disinfectant into the hammermill section to disinfect the disintegrated syringes. Relatively large particles of the syringe may still exit the apparatus.
The apparatus of the present invention provides a medical waste grinder which solves problems associated with prior art devices by grinding the waste, such as a syringe, into relatively fine, powderlike particles with a configuration which is self-cleaning to prevent clogging thereof by the particles.